Abigail Velez was covering a USMNT watch party in Long Beach, California, on Thursday for ABC7 Los Angeles. During her coverage, she made light-hearted remarks about the team’s next opponent. As Velez wrapped up the segment following the USA’s loss to Turkey, she looked ahead to the next matchup against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Velez commented, “The next round, Team USA will play Bosnia next Wednesday, and one thing about Bosnia, I could not point out where it is on a map.” She continued, “I don’t know the first thing about Bosnia, and I don’t want to know because Team USA, we’re back, we’re better than ever. Get prepared, Bosnia; you’re gonna get it.”
While these comments were intended to be playful, some took them more seriously. The reaction was strong enough for Velez to issue an apology.
The Bosnian national soccer team responded on social media, tweeting, “My goodness, the stereotypes write themselves…” This tweet, which included Velez’s comments, has been viewed more than 10 million times.
In her apology, Velez stated, “In a poor effort to have a little fun with World Cup competition, I took it too far and made a thoughtless comment on air that was insensitive and inappropriate. I apologize to the people of Bosnia and the Bosnian Football team.” She added, “The World Cup is supposed to be about uniting communities around the world, and my comment didn’t reflect that spirit. Wishing all the teams the best in their World Cup journey.”
This incident highlights how some people react to jokes and trash talk, finding them offensive and demanding apologies.
Sean Joseph is a writer for OutKick.